The media love reporting the gory details, the lurid circumstances, the outpouring of grief — but they do little to widen the context beyond the case of the day. No information of use is provided to the community. Or, as in this instance, when supposed advice is provided it is sorely misguided.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall moved one step closer to being the state’s next U.S. senator, placing first in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee enthusiastically endorsed Marshall and worked to ensure her first place spot with strong grassroots support.
Shackling of pregnant women is an alarming trend in United States’ prisons. Only six states in the U.S. have laws expressly condemning the practice. The Pennsylvania legislature recently introduced an anti-shackling bill that received unanimous approval in the Judiciary Committee, and Washington state has a proposed bill hopefully being introduced soon. As more women are being incarcerated as a result of increasingly harsh drug laws, the number of pregnant women in prison has also increased, making shackling an even more pressing issue.
A high school girl is gang raped for two and a half hours at her high school homecoming dance.
Every minute three women are raped in the U.S. Teenage girls are especially at risk. According to a 2000 National Crime Survey, girls ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely to be victims of rape, attempted rape of sexual assault.